Why she looks at you
by scullen86
Summary: One shot. Ron and Hermione upclose and personal. Set straight after DH.


I don't own Harry Potter, and this is my second fan fiction. I promise I can spell :), please review and let me know if you enjoyed it.

Set straight after the final chapter.

* * *

Harry, Ron and Hermione walked from Dumbledore's old office in silence. Harry began to sense an uncomfortable tension. Clearly feeling this as well, and blushing as red as his hair, Ron asked Harry where he was going.

"Why?" Harry responded at once, concealing a grin. It was Hermione who answered this time,

"I need to go to the library, and well, Ron's never actually been you know, so… if you don't mind Harry?"

Harry took a left towards Gryffindor tower, and Ron mustered all his courage to take Hermione's hand. "Library, hey?" he said. Hermione smiled nervously, stepped forward and was engulfed in Ron's arms. They both started to shiver, and held each other for a long moment, after which Ron lead her to the deserted library. Their grief, anger, tiredness and exhilarations abated by one and other; minor concerns compared to this passion.

Hermione walked inside the dusty familiar room, spun and launched herself at Ron. He responded, pressing her lips to his, entwining his fingers in her frizzy hair. Pressed against each other they bent their knees and sat on the floor. Keeping his head, Ron uttered some protective enchantments on the door, and Hermione giggled "V-voldemort himself couldn't have got in now".

It was a scene of passion, of seven years of friendship, four years of attraction, and too many close calls to count. Tightly embraced they kissed and kissed. They touched, they played, and even began to remove their burnt robes. It was a while before either of them noticed they both were crying. Eventually they stopped, shaking. Ron attempted to fix her robes and handed them back to her. They looked at each other, and knew they understood each other perfectly at this moment, for the first time. Leaning in Ron kissed Hermione's cheek, hugged her tight, removed the enchantments and ushered her from the library.

* * *

Despite the war being over, Ron and Hermione were apart. The following morning Hermione left for Australia to find her family, apparating to the airport, to fly the muggle way. Ron and Harry left on the Hogwarts express with the Weasley's and Fred's body, to the Burrow. Fred's funeral was held three days after, and this was when Ron began to feel the weight of the thing. The pain at losing his brother, his anger at Voldemort, shame in his pureblood, pride in his family's courage, concern his best mate might impregnate his sister, and feelings about his other best friend rendering him to a lifeless shell. However, he had his family to look after, Molly and Arthur had lost their jovial bounce, and Bill was in France with Fleur, so Ron took the lead, cooking, joking, and humouring the family. The Weasley's progressed, Ginny in the arms of Harry, Percy, George and Charlie inventing new Wizard Wheezes, and Arthur tinkering with the flying motorbike and Molly cooking a storm. Ron then began to heal, to think, to move on.

* * *

It was almost two months before he saw Hermione again. Lightly tanned, arm and arm with each parent, she met him in Diagon Alley on a Saturday morning. The Weasley men and Harry were building a Wizard Wheezes branch in Florean Fortescues old shop, it was a bittersweet day without Fred.

Ron could sense Hermione before he saw her. Running across the road, he engulfed her in a long, tight hug. Mr Weasley crossed the road also, cordially greeted the Grangers, and asked them to join him for a drink at the new Free-Elf Café. Arthur smiled at the Grangers, and a mutual understanding, between the muggles and the purebloods was met. The parents had only met once before, but Mr. Granger told Arthur he knew that would happen six years ago when he first saw them together. Before Ron and Hermione's embrace had even loosened, George had made a loud whitty remark, and sheepishly Ron took a seat beside the people who would one day become his future inlaws.

* * *

It was only a matter of hours before Ron got Hermione alone, at her parent's house, later that night. With all the passion of their kisses in the Hogwarts library, the tension, and a slight embarrassment lingering, they began to chat, having both grown so much. Ron told her about everything, saying goodbye to his brother, his grief for his parents, Harry, and his concerns about his sister. Ron told her this as he cuddled her in her room; she told him all about her parents' worry, and anger at her for running away, and how she'd missed their love.

Ron whispered "I used to be in awe of your magic brains, and jealous even… of you… of Harry… but I'm different now 'Mione'. It's hard to explain but I think I can be me now, without worrying about who I'm not being. I know I'm flawed" he went on. "Harry saw his parents in the mirror, and I saw glory. Now I've had enough glory. But I would have kept that wand. I know I am selfish... and but I guess that's part of being human. I can't forgive myself for running away like that, for trying to make you jealous with Lavendar.. for almost losing you at the Malfoys…"

"Ron!" Hermoine protested. "You are loyal, brave, and even kind sometimes. You are strong, funny; always lightening my moods. It was you that saved my life at the Malfoy's." Realising she would have to spell it out for him, she said "I've been attracted to you longer than I've realised. I couldn't bear the thought of losing you, and since we're out of danger now, with our lives back…… I'd um, I would like to be with you. The way you've always tried to protect me… in a weird way that's all I want."

Ron managed to say the wrong thing, joking that "Between our egos, I'm surprised we fit in this room". She looked up at him, and without planning it, or consciously thinking, he kissed her… The kiss what full of passion, so private, warm. For the first time they could kiss each other without the fears or greif that had plagued them before.

"You know you deserve better than me, 'Mione" he said, pulling away.

"Don't say that Ron. Look at what you've done. Who held your family together these past weeks? When you left us Harry and I hardly spoke. We needed you, your family needed you… and… I love you."

Looking her straight in the eyes, "I love you more" he said, then kissing her cheek. Ron held her until she fell asleep and apparated home with the biggest smile on his face.

* * *

In the weeks to come, hand in hand, the two now laughed about their power struggles over Harry's firebolt and their pets, about Lavender and Cormac, about Dumbeldore's eccentricities. Hermione and Ron were now at one with the world, and hand in hand, wherever they went… Whether this was to the Ministry for their internships, to Diagon Alley, at their homes, back at Hogwarts, in the muggleworld, their realised love consumed them.

* * *

"Dad?" Ron tentatively asked his father, whilst helping him fix Sirius' old bike. "How do muggles make rings?" Arthur stopped, staring at his youngest son.

"Why?" he asked, realising what his son was about to say.

"I'm going want to ask Hermione to marry me" he summarised. "I don't know if she will say yes, I just know I love her, I almost lost her… and life is too short to wonder" he said, thinking about his brother.

Jovially, Arthur told Ron all about what he deemed a 'Joola', and by the next weekend, they had fashioned a small, but beautiful ring.

* * *

At the Granger's house on Christmas Eve, whilst Hermione was searching for some music, Ron approached the Grangers. "Mr and Mrs Granger?" Ron asked clumsily, "Can I have a private word?"

"Take a seat Ronnie" Mrs Granger replied, and Ron sat on a couch opposite. "Are you okay?"

"I wanted to ask you something" he blurted, calming down he lowered his voice, "I was wondering if I can ask your daughter to marry me?" he said. A smile lit Mrs Grangers face up like a Veela and Mr Granger's serious expression relaxed.

The couple looked at each other, looked at Ron and said one word, "Yes". Ron beamed, and Hermione walked into the room

"Mum, you might like this witch singer, Celestina Warbeck" she said turning the record player on. Hermoine shivered as she sensed Ron behind her and turned around, to see him on his knees. Instinctively, the clever young lady she was, suddenly became emotional; she knew what was coming and uncharacteristically, started to cry.

"Hermione" Ron calmly and passionately said, "I love you, I always have, and I always will. I want to give you my love, my support, my jokes and my companionship everyday for the rest of my life. Will you do me the honour, of being my wife?"

"Yes"

Ron thread a golden ring, sparsely encrusted with small diamonds onto her finger, "It's not goblin-made or anything special. But it's all Weasley. I made it with a little help from Dad, we did it the muggle way, like a jeala, is that what they're called? I melted some gold from my Uncle Gibbion's broken shield, and the diamonds were my dad's aunts. It took me forever to get the jewels to stick, we couldn't figure out how they hold them on, so that was by charm… I hope you like it" he said tentatively.

Hermione leant in for a kiss, both crying, their whole world was complete. The Granger's gave their daughter a teary hug, and made themselves scarce.

* * *

Like Bill and Fleur, two long years before, Hermione and Ron were married at the Burrow. With the goblin made tiara sitting proudly on her head, Hermione proudly walked down the aisle, to the sound of harps playing, and Hagrid's blubbering. Ron stood proudly, dressed in black dress robes, his best mate Harry, by his side.

The ceremony was brief, short, and happy. Whilst dancing Ron whispered into her ear "I want to make every minute count, I want to love you forever". And that they did. They moved into their own cottage the next day, and spent many happy days travelling, working, loving each other, and experiencing life's challenges, wonders and hardships.

* * *

It was seven happy years later, when their lives became more complete, and Rose Hermoine Weasley came into the world. They made a very happy little family, and were joined by Hugo Ronald two years after. Both children had characteristic Weasley red hair, the courage of a Gryffindor, their fathers sense of fun, their mothers brains, were full of magic, and were loved, proud and happy.

* * *

Please R+R

Steph


End file.
